Congress should have blocked Palparan promotion, says Joker Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines—Jovito Palparan could have been made to pay for his human rights violations much earlier had the congressional Commission on Appointments  flatly rejected his promotion to major general months after the disappearance of UP activists Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006.

Senator Joker Arroyo made this observation on Tuesday after militant congressmen lashed out at the Philippine National Police for its failure to arrest Palparan nearly four months after the Bulacan Regional Trial court issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the disappearance of the two women.

Empeño and Cadapan were abducted in Hagonoy, Bulacan, in July 2006.

Despite being linked to the abduction, the Commission on Appointments still confirmed Palparan’s promotion to two-star rank on December 14, 2006, Arroyo noted.

“The brouhaha over the government’s inability to arrest General Palparan would not have happened had the CA in December 2006 denied his promotion to major general when he was up for confirmation,” Arroyo told the Inquirer over the phone.

“Unfortunately, Palparan’s alleged abuses were not investigated minutely by the commission. If the allegations were true, then his promotion should have been rejected and his violation formally exposed for prosecution by the appropriate agencies,” he added.

A check of the commissions records showed that Arroyo, Senator Sergio Osmeña III and Bataan Representative Antonino Roman were the only ones who objected to Palparan’s nomination from among the commission’s 25 members.

At that time, Franklin Drilon was Senate President and presiding officer of the Commission on Elections.

“Precisely because of his human rights record,” Arroyo replied when asked about his opposition to Palparan at that time. “The commission voted to give its consent to Palparan’s elevation to major general.  That meant that Congress saw fit to see him as a two-star general.”

Earlier, Akbayan Representative Walden Bello urged President Benigno Aquino to “discipline” members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are “suspected of shielding” Palparan.

Bello also asked the President to raise the bounty for Palparan’s capture to P10 million.